Aerostat.



J. R. GAMMETER. ABRosTAT.

APPLIGATION FILED AUG. 22, 1912.

Patented Dec. 10, 1912.

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.form i. cambiaran, i Aiiioii, oiiI'o.

Sipeccatin of letters ftent.

Patented Dec. 1o, 1912.

ToaZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known thatlI, JOHN R. GAiiiis'mi'nRia citizen of the United States, residing in the city of Akron, county of Summit, and

State of Ohio, Ahave inventedvcertain new and useful Improvements in Aerostats, of

which the following is a specifcatioi'i.

My invention relates to improvements in air craft and particularly to dirigible blloons.

@ne feature of my invention provides aV lexible but inelastic sheath or envelop for a lighter-than-air machine.

' As is well known, there have been many failures and fatalities o wing to the. fact that the gas confined within the envelop of a balloon, dirigible or otherwise, has been free' to alter its volume under the influence ofY atmospheric conditions.'

According to my improved design I pfothin strips or ribbonsof metal, such-as steel, closely interwoven and inclosii'ig practically the entire gas container, although in the c'i'is'e of dirigibles and the like, metal caps may be used to complete the envelop. Compartment's may be formed within the 'envelop' by partitions of like material.

My yinvention also contemplates novel means for inilating air ships of the lighterthan-air type.

In vthe accompanying drawings whichv form a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a dirigible type aiship',

parts ybeing broken 'away to ,show the internal construction; Fig. 2 is a fragmentary longitudinal 'sectional view of a portionof the envelop; YFi 3 is a transverse`- sectional view on line II -III of Fig. 1. Fig'. is

a side elevation of an envelop showing a` modied form`of weaving the metallic ribbons composing the same; ig 5 illustrates a' further modification. u

Referring to the drawingsii dtail, the

numeral 1 designates ya dirigible iiiirship from which the passenger-carrying frame.

has been removed for the-.sake of. clearness in showing the operating parts. The structure consists of an envelop 2 of closely woven velop is riveted or otherwise suitably secured` strips or ribbons of iiexiblebut substantially inextensible material such' as steel. This enat one end to the cone-like tips 3 and 4, which are preferably constructed of alumistrong, inextensible covering is -5, which may advantageous y be composed of wood,'between whichare secured partiindividual desi n:

In Figs. 1 an,Y 2 I have shown the envelop as composed of ribbons extending' longitudinally and transversely with respect tothe main airisA of the structure. In some cases I find it advantageous vto weave the fabric comprising the envelop in a spiral form. When' this is carried 'ut the longitudinal ribbons may be woven spirally in connection witl transverse ribbons as shown i'n Fig. 4, 0'1" both sets may be spiral, as indicated in Fig. A5. Regardless of the manner in which the fabric is woven, there isfform'ed a continou's envelop for inclosingl the gas bags which is sufficiently yieldable and flexible in its nature, but which is s'iib'stantiall inex'tensible and is firepro'of. Gas introduced into the containers' ,under ressure therefore be subsequently chilled, as by atmospheric conditions, and its pressure reduced without an accompanying shrinking inthe dimensions of the envelop.. A subpresent in my improved structure. At the saine time the weight of the metallicv envelop asthus constructed is less than that of many forms of framework or reinforced fabric already in use and is remarkably light for the degree o strength and safety which it affords. Because of its strength, the gas bags inclosed by it may be constructed of extremely light material.

with' a gas-tight bag or envelop 8 which conforms closely to the vf'alls of its com'- ,partnient. At'the bottom of each as container I place a valve 9 provided wit a gas- A'aperture l1 of the valve. In fillingv any tment with suitable gas, I first introduce a collapsible gas-tight'bag 12 into the compartment. This bag is provided with a neck 13 adapted to pass through' the valve terior of the main envelop. Through this neck I introduce compressed air until the bag occupies all the space within the con- 'tions 6 of tightly woven material similar to l Each of the compartments 7 is providedv and afford communication with the ex- I sections or compartments 7 'b pairs of rings stantiallyconstant lifting value is therefore tight slide 10 which is adapted to block the -furt-her than as specified tainer, with the exce tion of that required l rounding lighter-'than-air gas. When this..

state of affairs occurs, the air bag and 'the supply pipe 14 may be quickly removed from the compartment, and the valve 9 closed. The use of the air bag prevents a. mingling at any time of air and gas within the chamber or compartment so as to form an explosive mixture. at the same rate that the gas is admitted, and the latter may be maintained under any desirable pressure by regulating the pressure at which the air is permitted to escape through the tube 13 during the admission of the gas. By employing this method the person in charge of the inflation of the airship is assured .that each compartment is filled with gas and as only.

While I .have il ustrated and described only certain specific embodiments of my invention, I realize that it is susceptible of wide variation' and that the principle thereof may be embodied in many different structures. I do not intend to limit myself to the details of structure shown and described any in certain of the more limited claims hereunto appended, but desire to cover m invention broadly;

IjIaving -thus escribed my invention, I

claim: l

1. An envelop for gas containers for aerostats composed of a fabric woven of metallic ribbons. n

2. An envelop for as containers for aerostats composed of a fabric of tightly woven thin metallic ribbons and presenting substantially no interstices.

3. An envelop for gas containers for aerostats composed of a fabric woven of thin steel' ribbons.

4. An envelop for as containers for aerostats composed of a abric of tig'htly woven body portion o The air is driven out thin steel ribbons presenting substantially no interstice's.

5. An envelopl for aerostats comprising a bons and end port-ions of sheet metal.

6. An envelo foraerostats comprisin a body portion o tightly woven thin steel ribbons and end port-ions of sheet metal.

7. An envelo for aerosta'ts comprising a body portion o tightly woven thin steel ribbons and end portionsl of aluminum.

tightly woven metallic rib- 8. An envelo for aerost-ats comprisin a body portion o tightly Woven metallic rlbbons, a partition therein of similar fabric and end portions of sheet metal.

9. An envelo for aerostats comprising a body portion o tightly woven thin steel ribbons, a partition therein kof similar fabric and end portions of sheetmetal.

10. An envelop for aerostats comprising a body portion of tightly woven thin steel ribbons, a partition therein of similarfabric and end portions of aluminum.

11. An envelop for aerostats comprising end portions and a fabric body portion connecting the saine having a series of thin inetallic ribbons extending'from one end to the other, and a second series similar to the rst and interwoven therewith.

12. An envelop for aerostats comprising end portions and a fabric body portion connecting the same having a series of thin unitary metallic ribbons extending from one end to the other, and a second series similar to the first and interwoven therewith.

13. An envelop for aerostats comprising end .portions and a fabric body portion connecting the same having a series of thin unitary steel ribbons extending from one end to the other, and a second series similar to the first and interwoven therewith.

14. An envelop for aerostats comprising end portions, a' fabric vbody portion connecting the same having a series of thin me- `tallic ribbons extending from one end to the other, and a second series similar to the first and interwoven therewith,a ring transversely mounted within said body ortion,

and a compartmentforming partition of ribbons mounted thereon. JOHN R. GAMMETER. Witnesses:

WALTER K. MEANS, ILLA N. KinN.

woven metallic 

